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Anyone replace the molding strip on the front bumper? The link above says chrome but the one on my Lexus is peeling and doesn't look chrome.
It's chromed plastic. They tend to tarnish and peel over time. Pretty sure that it is a stick on with 3M 2-sided tape. (You could ask the seller.) Many here have DIY replaced their rear chrome bumper strip.
Anyone replace the molding strip on the front bumper? The link above says chrome but the one on my Lexus is peeling and doesn't look chrome.
Is chrome standard? And how do you replace it?
I recently (2 months ago) had both my front and rear bumpers resprayed and the chrome moldings replaced. I purchased both the front and rear from Rock Auto and they are actually 3M double sided tape moldings. The body shop that did the work replaced them so I don't know what was involved, I believe they need to be tucked under the ends before reinstalling the bumper if you want them to stay in place. I paid $72 for both moldings shipped and they do look like OEM. I'm very particular and can't tell the difference. Most of our parts come from a bin from other manufacturers and then repackaged in the Toyota Packaging which is the case with many Denso parts (spark plugs for example) and Koyo parts (wheel hubs). Wouldn't be surprised about many other parts as well. Your price seems very reasonable (for OEM) as I called Lexus originally and they told me a stupid high price for a plastic molding and I never pursued it. Good luck..
Last edited by Bocatrip; Dec 25, 2016 at 03:12 PM.
I tried the chrome molding from Rock Auto. Didn't like the molding, or the service. They sent me one used molding, and neither one really matches the size and profile of the OEM molding.
Mine looked terrible, dull and lifeless. I used some polish and it came back to life... try that before replacing.
I thought they were grey when i bought my car, then I hit the rear bumper one with some compound when I was cleaning up a paint scuff and lo and behold its chrome!
After removing the front license plate assembly from my '02UL, I noticed the chrome strip molding behind it had discolored. Some polish brought the shine back. Not perfect but very, very close to the rest of the chrome strip. Also, friendly body shop painted some plugs to fill the screw holes left by the plate assembly. Looked great after.
If you are going to respray your bumpers or if they are in good original condition the new replacement strips do make the car pop. I also had my headlights refinished so the combination of everything really helped my old timer look special.
Last edited by Bocatrip; Oct 21, 2017 at 07:56 AM.
As an alternative to the OEM chrome molding, or the above mentioned aftermarket replacements, may I suggest 3/8" half round molding. I found some at my local Pep Boys - $15 for 20 feet. I used it on the rear bumper. The flat fits almost exactly in the pocket of the bumper groove, and the thickness fills out the depth of the groove.
I used an OEM part on the front bumper, but I figure the rear is going to get abused. Seems like every month some yaywho smacks the rear bumper, and leaves a mark in the bumper of the molding. (the worst are the two big circles from license plate screws). I've had the bumper re-sprayed once, and just now some touch-up, plus the new chrome. Hopefully that will last me another year or so.
rear bumper detail of chrome molding chrome molding package
I would say it was time to finally do the chrome trim on my front bumper. Until I found this thread a couple weeks ago I didn't realize it was basically a stick on piece and was trying to think about how I could address mine. Found this thread and decided to pull the trigger on the trim from RockAuto. It took me a bit to get the old trim to come off but eventually got it and replaced it. My rear trim is in one piece but just dull. I'm going to look at polishing the rear this weekend. I'm also going to do a headlight restoration and paint my grill this weekend as well. LOL....look how trashed my trim was.
I would say it was time to finally do the chrome trim on my front bumper. Until I found this thread a couple weeks ago I didn't realize it was basically a stick on piece and was trying to think about how I could address mine. Found this thread and decided to pull the trigger on the trim from RockAuto. It took me a bit to get the old trim to come off but eventually got it and replaced it. My rear trim is in one piece but just dull. I'm going to look at polishing the rear this weekend. I'm also going to do a headlight restoration and paint my grill this weekend as well. LOL....look how trashed my trim was.
I considered painting my grill as well until I stumbled on this…
The grill is pretty standard in the aftermarket parts world but availability can be spotty. IIRC I paid $85 or $90. I was a little leery it might not be a quality part but I found it on Amazon so it could be returned easily if I wasn’t happy. Turns out it's damn close to the OE grill on the car. I kept it but I haven’t put it on yet. I might paint the old one once I put this one on. Always good to have options.
molding strip on the front bumper
